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Despite increasing awareness of the need to prevent bullying in health care, it's a workplace problem that continues. To address this problem, ANA is planning to introduce a new health risk assessment tool that will include questions on bullying, and a second edition of the ANA booklet "Bullying in the Workplace: Reversing a Culture" was published last year. "We want to understand the nurse's work environment and what is affecting them on a daily basis," ANA senior policy analyst Jaime Dawson said.

ANA is asking for public comment on its statement "Incivility, Bullying, and Workplace Violence" this month. Health care organizations should be proactive in preventing bullying, and verbal and physical attacks should not be treated as a reality that needs to be accepted, said ANA President Pamela Cipriano.

In a survey of 1,333 registered nurses working in hospitals, 30% reported feeling bullied at work, according to a Jackson Healthcare poll. Nurses who felt bullied were more likely to have a negative outlook about their profession as well as report feelings of isolation. Aside from boosting job satisfaction, a positive workplace culture "can also improve a nurse's performance and subsequently, even enhance patient outcomes," Jackson Healthcare's Bob Schlotman said.

The American Diabetes Association, along with other health groups, has argued that unlicensed school employees in California should be allowed to administer insulin shots to children with diabetes, but doing so would devalue and cheapen the nursing practice, HealthLeaders Media managing editor Alexandra Wilson Pecci writes. A court case in the state could have implications for school nurses around the nation, said Maureen Cones, associate general counsel for the ANA. "If the ADA prevails and the decision is overturned, it will give license to any state to allow unlicensed personnel to administer insulin," Cones said.

A collaboration between Oregon Health & Science University's nursing students and Wallace Medical Concern has been formed to promote preventive health care in a Portland neighborhood. "We've joined with Wallace to look at health care broadly," said Sherry Archer, a nurse clinical instructor at OHSU.